Hello Olusegun,
The following information is taken from the Window-Eyes manual, and I
believe it will answer your questions.
Regards,
Steve
Window-Eyes Remote Assistance
Window-Eyes includes the ability to allow two parties to work with each
other's computers remotely over the internet. To do this, one user must
ask for help, and the other must offer it. Window-Eyes includes two
choices under the "Remote Assistance" section of its Help menu
(discussed next) that enable this type of remote collaboration. Note
that the versions of Window-Eyes used during a remote assistance session
must be 7.5.2 or newer. Older versions of Window-Eyes can connect with
their equal versions, but not with later versions.
Asking for Help
When you select Ask for Help from the Remote Assistance Help menu
pulldown, you will be presented with a dialog containing the following
controls:
* S = Send Help Request - When you are ready to have someone connect
to your computer, select this button. You will be presented with a
dialog containing an 8-digit password which you will need to provide
to the person connecting to your machine. Once a successful
connection is made, you will be prompted to allow the person
connecting to control your desktop.
* A = Alternate Help Request - If you are unable to connect using the
standard help request method mentioned previously, select this
button to receive your connection password. Provide this password to
the person connecting to your machine, and when they tell you to,
select the connect button.
* L = Local Network - By default, Window-Eyes Remote Assistance will
connect using your external, public IP address. If you are using
Window-Eyes Remote Assistance on a local network, or intranet, you
will need to check this check box prior to selecting either of the
Help Request buttons to ensure that your private IP is used instead
of your public IP. If both machines are using Windows Vista, Windows
7, or Windows 8 and they are running Window-Eyes 8.0 or newer, you
do not need to worry about this option as Window-Eyes will
automatically select the correct network type for you. If either
machine is using Windows XP or is running a version of Window-Eyes
less than 8.0, you will need to manually select the correct network
type.
* E = Use Legacy Helper - If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7,
this checkbox will be available which allows you to select either
the older (legacy) remote assistance client or the modern helper.
The legacy version is included to allow you to connect to a helper
who might be running Windows XP and/or Window-Eyes 7.5.2, 7.5.3,
7.5.4, or 7.5.4.1. The modern implementation acts just like the
legacy client but takes advantage of features available under
Windows Vista and newer to provide new features and significant
performance improvements. It however, is only functional on Windows
Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 and can connect only to other
Window-Eyes 8.0 users. Take note, too, that due to restrictions in
Windows 8, there is presently no way to establish a remote
assistance session with a Windows XP user. If this sounds confusing,
just keep in mind that the modern client will not work under Windows
XP, and Windows XP and Windows 8 remote assistance connections are
not possible. In addition, Window-Eyes will automatically choose the
appropriate version of remote assistance based on the versions of
Windows on both ends of the connection. For instance, if you are
running Windows 7 and help someone on Windows XP, the legacy client
will be used. Or, if you help someone on Windows Vista, Windows 7,
or Windows 8, the modern client will be used instead.
* Cancel - Selecting this button closes the Ask for Help dialog.
Offering Help
When you select Offer Help from the Remote Assistance Help menu
pulldown, you will be presented with a dialog containing an edit box for
your name along with another edit box for a password. The name you enter
will be presented to the person to whom you are providing assistance
when a connection is made to his or her machine. The password you enter
must be the same 8-digit password given to you by the person requesting
assistance.
The Connection
After a password has been generated, shared, and a successful connection
has been made, the connecting session will expand full screen, and all
keystrokes issued from the machine providing help will be sent through
the remote assistance session to the machine requiring help. You can
press Control-Alt-Break at any time to restore the connection to a
normal sized window; this allows the person providing assistance to get
back to his or her own system without terminating the connection.
Control-Alt-Break can be pressed any time the connection dialog is
active to toggle between full screen and a normal size window.
Regardless of whether the connection window is full screen, or normal
sized, if it has activation, keystrokes will be sent to the remote side.
You can alt-tab to a local window, such as the local disconnect dialog,
to have access to your local resources.
The connection will terminate when either party closes the connection
dialog box (by selecting the Disconnect button, for example) or when one
of the machines loses internet connectivity. It is also important to
note that the person at the computer receiving help will not be logged
out of his or her Windows session, and he or she will still be able to
control the machine. Even so, take care to only allow connections from
those you trust.
Copying Text to the Clipboard
When using the modern Remote Assistance client, it is possible to copy
and paste text to and from the clipboard of the person receiving help.
To do this, simply use the cut, copy and paste commands that you already
know. If, for example, you copy something to the clipboard from within
the Remote Assistance client, you then press Control-Alt-Break to
restore the connection to windowed mode, and you paste the text into
another application, the content you copied from the other person's
computer will appear. Conversely, if you copy something from Notepad on
your machine, you re-enable full-screen mode within the Remote
Assistance client, and paste the clipboard's contents, the text from
your computer will appear on the other machine. Remember that clipboard
sharing is possible only if both computers are running the modern Remote
Assistance client.
Sending and Receiving Files
If the modern Remote Assistance client is running, it is possible to
transfer files between the connected machines. To transfer a file from
the machine receiving help to the helper, bring up the Remote Assistance
window, open the "Send File" option from the File menu, select the file
to be downloaded, and click the "Open" button. Similarly, to send a file
from the helper's machine to the person receiving help, bring up the
Remote Assistance window, open the Helper menu and select "Send File."
As above, select the file to upload click "Open." At this point, a
dialog will open on the receiver's machine asking if he wants to accept
the transfer and, if so, where to save the file. Once the transfer is
accepted, dialogs will appear on each machine displaying the transfer's
progress. You will be told when the transfer completes, and the dialogs
will close.
Since all file transfers are handled on the machine receiving help,
simply use its client to initiate transfers in either direction. You do
not need to exit the session to transfer files. Note that only one file
can be transferred at a time.
Smart Sizing
If the modern client is in use and the person offering help is sighted,
the smart sizing option may prove useful if the person receiving help
has more than one monitor connected to his computer. To activate this
mode, first bring up the Remote Assistance window, and click the "Smart
Sizing" option under the Helper menu. When active, this mode will allow
the person providing assistance to view the entire contents of the
remote computer's desktop. When smart sizing is disabled, only the
contents of the primary monitor will be visible. This feature will only
benefit sighted users; it will not impact the performance of remote
assistance in any other way.
A Note about Routers
A secure router will, by default, block all incoming connections,
including those from Window-Eyes Remote Assistance. If your machine
resides behind a router, and you are capable of administering your
router's interface, you can port forward TCP traffic on the three ports
that Window-Eyes uses (46825, 46826, and 46827) to create a successful
Remote Assistance connection. If you are unable to configure your
router, you may want to use the Alternate Help Request discussed
previously. Doing so will place the responsibility of port configuration
on the person from whom you are requesting assistance.
A Note about Firewalls
Like routers, a good firewall will also, by default, block all incoming
connections that are not recognized or that have not been explicitly
allowed. Be aware that you may need to configure your firewall (or even
your anti-virus software) to allow the Window-Eyes Remote Assistance
process appropriate internet/intranet access. The Window-Eyes Remote
Assistance process is called gwassist.exe, and is located in the
Window-Eyes program directory.
On 4/2/2013 6:34 PM, Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc. wrote:
Dear Covici:
You wrote:
"You don't have to forward anything -- at least I don't and remote
assistance works for me."
First, I apologize for referring to the service as Remote Access. I've
made the correction in the subject header to reflect the correct
terminology.
Second, if you are able to make it work, can I possibly arrange a
practice session with you just so I can see what I am doing wrong? I
did give the password to the guy wanting to help me with the issue I
was having. He had Window-Eyes 8.0 installed, but no dice with the
connection.
I'm running Windows XP Professional 32-bit with all service paks
installed. The gentleman I was working with was also running Windows
XP Professional Service Pak3 with all updates in a virtual Windows
environment on a Mac. Should the operating systems be compatible?
Example: The Window-Eyes Remote Assistance WILL NOT work if the
helper is using Windows7 any flavour and I am using Windows XP?
Third, if there is or are port(s) to be forwarded, which one(s)? I can
try forwarding the said port(s) and have the gentleman do likewise to
see if it'll work.
No comments yet from GW Micro, but I do thank those who have commented
though I do still need to find a way of making it work. Much thanks
for continued anticipated help!!
Sincerely,
Olusegun
Denver, Colorado
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Stephen Clower
Product support specialist & App Development
GW Micro, Inc. * 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825
260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com
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